


Tis the Season to be Folly (2016 Christmas Challenge Entries)

by Sanoiro



Series: Tis the Season to be Folly [2]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, everything really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 06:42:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11458146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sanoiro/pseuds/Sanoiro
Summary: I wanted to post the one-shots separately from the 2016 Christmas Challenge therefore, IGNORE this story.This was done for personal reasons...Slowly edited.





	1. Carols of Rum and Raspberries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: When Lucifer is caught in an awkward situation due to his earlier that day vandalised sensitivities, a counter favour will have him illuminating the ivory keys while talking over matters of rum and raspberries.
> 
> Last Edited 10/Jul/2017

* * *

 

 

**Carols of Rum and Raspberries**

 

.  

 

He was leaping over every other step and his already suffering mood since last night had reached a new low. With an intelligible profanity through his clenched teeth, he leaned on the wall behind him to inspect the bottom of his right shoe.

“Hell’s bells… Can’t they do anything right?” Lucifer growled plunking the sticky festive duct tape pieces from his sole.

When he was satisfied with his shoes which had now stopped slipping, he descended as gracefully as he could down the stairs and cringed at the audible squeaking from the glue residue. With his mood taking one more plummeting for the day he moved towards the only place where he would probably find a solution for his current problem.

As he made his way towards the room of his destination, he quickly scanned the place searching for the Detective, and with pleasure, he affirmed that he was indeed the first to get there. If he made his way through this quickly, he just might be able to get what he wanted and leave without being noticed.

He closed the door behind him softly, and his fingers quickly turned also to shut the blinds. With a rather sinister smile, he opened the nearest cupboard and took in the selection before him. So many choices, he mused and traced his fingers over the various little bottles before resting on one in particular.

“Interesting choice” a mocking-serious voice greeted him from behind. The petite woman who had expected to be hopefully still at home was now glaring at him with a bloody scalpel at hand. Literally bloody that is.

“I would characterise it as an illuminating one, but alas.” He jested in good humour but his already dreadful morning was carrying the words with more weight than he had intended them to be expressed.

Her eyes surveyed him, and thankfully she carefully placed the scalpel on the examination table. In all honesty, he was catching himself double-checking trivial things lately. After the almost oopsy with the landlord from hell, it was to be expected he supposed.

“Care to illuminate me then?” The woman challenged while removing her single-use gloves. She then carelessly threw them in the bin behind her and spectacularly missed it to Lucifer's amusement.

“For personal use, I’m afraid.” He at least had the decency to sound and to his surprise feel ashamed. At being caught that is. 

Ella scrunched her nose still looking at her missed throw, and Lucifer couldn’t be sure on whether it was over his admission or about the bloody rubber gloves. Again, quite literally bloody.

“That will need to be cleaned, like immediately.” She murmured and took her mobile from her back pocket and proceeded to furiously type.

“You are not off the hook, Lucifer” she caught him from the corner of her right eye as he was stuffing something in his suit’s inner pocket. Something that was probably missing from the now closed cupboard.

Sighing in frustration, Lucifer took out the bottle and placed it on the counter behind him. That was not how this was supposed to go.

“May I have your solemn promise that this will remain between us?” His voice was still gruff from the lack of sleep. 

In order for his charming effect to work, it would probably take more than one strong cup of tea to get him going. Well, too late now he mentally grumbled. She had probably realised how off he was when she never felt that warm flirtatious sensation, he always emitted, crawl over her when he was trying to persuade her.

“Another empty grave?” Ella had a feeling that it would be more than that this time around. Where the substance he pocketed was used, only a fresh body would soon be discovered nearby.

“More like a victimised bathtub…” Lucifer shamelessly admitted and turned to inspect with an odd fascination her wall-hanged advent calendar.

“A bathtub which was filled with what?” She pressed. Where there was a bathtub, there were always pipes. And despite what people believed, a pipe was always giving away a well-scrubbed bathtub.

“That’s the problem, Miss Lopez!” He said with anguish.

“I don’t know!” Lucifer repeated in defeat.

“We get nowhere Lucifer, and it’s Ella, please try to wake up just enough for this.” 

She crossed the room and caught his elbow softly to guide him to the nearest chair. When he took a seat, and his face was at the same height as hers, she could see the stupor in his eyes.

“I have to start from the beginning, aren’t I?” He moaned and lowered his head just enough to rest on her right shoulder.

“It’s this blasted season…Nothing seems to go my way and all that because of my freakish little brother!” A huff came out of him in disheartenment. 

She patted his shoulder awkwardly, and it was that moment when she swore to just turn a blind eye whenever Lucifer was trying to nick something. Actors could indeed be a troublesome kind.

“So you have a brother. And that leads us how exactly to a victimised, as you claim, bathtub?” She asked in apparent bewilderment.

“I have many siblings,” Lucifer supplied for the hundredth time.

“He is the youngest though, and he sure likes all the spotlight,” his voice carried a hint of bitterness and disgust at the same time. 

Sibling rivalry was certainly amusing. She would know with four brothers running around her for the most of her life.

“The thing is, I had the most amazing crew, and he just had to come, and then some cretines transferred his birthday in December!” Lucifer raised his hands to pull several locks of his hair in obvious frustration. 

“I mean it was bad enough having to deal with one birthday date, and now the second annually throws my life out of order!” He practically whined still tugging his hair. Soon she would start pulling her own if he didn’t get to the point.

She looked at him with a meaningful glare to conclude what had driven him to steal from the forensic room of the LAPD.

“In short, my cleaning crew left me for the holidays and then the agency sent what I suspect was a treacherous demon who scrubbed my bathtub raw!” Lucifer hissed with what she would presume was also a promise of vengeance.

“Seriously now? And what you would have done? How you taking a whole bottle of luminal* would ever help you?” The whole concept was absurd.

“Are you even following me Miss Lopez?” Lucifer growled, and his eyes had that crazy glint she had witnessed not so long ago. 

“Due to that little dimwit relation of mine, my bathtub, my utmost sanctionary and insomnia aid as of late, was vandalised with bleach!” He screeched the last word and even with the blinds closed she knew that his voice had certainly carried out at the main desk area.

She rubbed her forehead and reached to get her crime scene kit. When she found what she was searching for, Ella raised it up for Lucifer to see. The small spray applicator had his eyes widening, and she could see his fingers twitching in eagerness to snatch it from her hands.

“You get this and my small flashlight.” She was indeed crazy.

“I presume you know the drawbacks. Blood and human waste can also be detected so don’t go ballistic over that poor woman before you are absolutely sure.” She warned him. 

Having done several odd jobs during college, Ella knew firsthand how it was to have a neat-freak for a boss. Lucifer just nodded, but his eyes were still set on the small glass applicator. He had already ordered a new bathtub, but custom orders took time. Moreover, he had just enough time to get this over with and sneak into Maze’s apartment to take a quick shower while all three occupants of the house were out for the day for what they had called 'Christmas shopping'.

“Now it will detect only certain kinds of bleach, are you aware of that?” She snapped her fingers to catch his attention again, and she saw his jaw clenching, but he nodded nonetheless. The intensifying proof of his tension though was followed by his eyes narrowing.

“Is this a favour between friends?” Lucifer asked suspiciously. The thought had merit, but the consequences with Ella were never pleasant.

“Which you will return this evening at seven, no questions asked.” If this small detail was managed perhaps the evening would not be the disaster she was expecting it to be for over a week now.

“Very well…” He reluctantly took the bottle whilst still eyeing Ella in apprehension.

“Nothing bad, honest! Just be back here this evening.” She giggled seeing how her request to return the favour had affected him. 

Of course, after her last request, it was only natural. That was a night that she and most importantly the priest would never forget. In all honestly, she never thought he would have lectured them over the given communion. 2013 was apparently not a good year for California’s vines.

“And I’ll give you a card for a different cleaning crew which uses only environmental and porcelain friendly cleaning products.” 

Perhaps she would have called two favours for that. Giving business to her aunt’s company was one thing. Entrusting her with a nut-case was an entirely different thing.

Before he managed a hasty retreat from the forensic room, Ella stopped him momentarily.

“What’s your brother’s name?” It was an innocent enough question, but from the manner, his fist enclosed the handle, family drama was certainly there.

“Jesus.” Lucifer tersely answered and almost ripped the door off its hinges to make it out of the room.

For the next second, she would see Lucifer squeaking his way up the stairs and disappear turning the corner. She just hoped that the poor cleaning lady would confront him through a call and not face to face. That bathtub was valued highly by him. And just then it dawned on her.

“He is part Latino?” she cried in horror.

* * *

  

At sharp six in the evening, a refreshed _little_  Devil made his way into the police station. With his bathtub adequately avenged and his sore body relaxed after sneaking into his demon's and the Detective's house for a quick shower, his mood had been improved considerably. The only drawback was his still damp hair which had dangerously begun curling since before he had left the house in a hurry.

The station's entrance was practically deserted, and he froze mid-step in fear of another encounter with this morning’s duct tape. After scanning the floor, he located the possibly hazardous areas and swiftly made his way to the source of cheering. Reaching the stairs, with uneasiness he perceived the situation in which the counter-favour was about to be granted.

“Luce!” the short forensic yelled over the noise to draw his attention. 

A good thinking if you took into consideration that her hands were barely making it above the crowd. He stepped down the stairs slowly with a posture of regality and found that she had the good manners to meet him at the bottom step. Giving her a hard stare, Lucifer fixed his suit’s button which he had freed for driving.

“Miss Lopez, do I need to remind you that I’m not partial to nicknames of any kind?” Instead of replying she tugged his sleeve and stumblingly Lucifer was led into the forensics lab.

“If you wanted to do the nasty, I’m afraid you've lost your chance.” 

His eyes glinted with the prospect of finally using the station for his wicked ways. Yet his dear therapist had him on intercourse probation. Something about feelings and chickens. 

Unexpectedly, it had been weeks ago since he had experienced the collywobbles over advancing to any kind of sexual gratification. Thus, the probation had simply forced him to evaluate the matter of _feelings_.  Some bothersome whacky things they were.

Ella held a hand to halt him and forcefully sat him on the same chair he had been sitting that very morning.

“Quick briefing.” She announced and gave him a piece of paper and a pen. 

“Do I actually require that?” 

He was stunned. Since when did his female acquaintances and more felt freely to treat him like a lap dog? Should he be enraged? Should he act out? Should he just swallow down everything and take it? 

Well if he ever wanted to resume his night activities, communication was the key according to his dearest doctor. Celestial narcissism apparently was not an aphrodisiac for a certain someone. Hence the needed practice on communication 101.

“For today it’s Luce. Not Lucy, not Devil, certainly not Lucifer.” Ella delivered shakily what she had chattered under her breath for the past couple of hours. 

At his widening eyes, she felt encouraged to continue. Perhaps if she took him by surprise, he would comply with everything.

“You will hit the piano with normal; I repeat _normal_ songs and an occasional Christmas carol.” Ella said pointing the unseen left corner blindingly outside the room, where the small upright piano was put for the evening.

“You will also not talk at length with anyone you don’t know.” She stressed and took a gulp of air as the battle seemed to now be over. It was only a matter of time to see what the result of the said battle was.

“Miss Lopez.” Lucifer tentatively began. ”Ella.” He tried again trying to set himself to an advantageous position which politeness had always gotten him.

”Ella.” He tried again trying to set himself to an advantageous position which politeness had always gotten him.

“Do you not share the belief that borrowing some of your chemical speciality, importunes for an unusual high exchange rate?” There, he had objected openly with the set demands of the woman in front of him.

“Lucifer my grandmother is out there.” Ella revealed with anguish. 

“My very old and extremely devoted Latina Catholic grandmother. The mother of my nun aunt!” Ella’s hands rested on the back of her head and pulled with frustration her neck.

“Oh, woe is me…” Lucifer palmed his face in frustration. 

He should have known better, why after so many millennia didn’t know the trickery of human nature? And most importantly why he had stopped with his deals? Favours seemed to be a level higher from any kind of soul bargaining deal. Perhaps he should reassess his practice of offering deals and move to favours instead.

“Still with me?” Ella chuckled nervously and when he slightly nodded she let out an audible exhale.

“Let’s reacquaint once more your demands” He grunted and raised his palms to hide his nose as if in a praying gesture.

“Lucifer is out of the window.” She adamantly stated and instinctively took a small step back when his shoulders stiffened.

“It will be Sammy.” He offered in reluctance, and she could see his face contracting in a visible grimace. 

“Just for tonight and to as few individuals as possible. Clear?” His voice whispered faltering at the end of each spoken word.

“Nice to meet you, Summy!” 

The man before her had gone to great lengths to refine his acting, and she had resorted him on halting his dedicated rehearsing. Knowing how resolute Lucifer was about his method she couldn’t help but feel guilt creeping over her.

“Pass. The second was no tattling with strangers and the third to be your entertainment monkey in a suit for the evening.” He suddenly felt very old. All the aeons suddenly weighted heavily on his back.

“Ready to face them?” Ella nervously played with the door’s handle. 

With an involuntary pained whine escaping him he lifted from the chair and followed her in the packed room.

The decorations were appalling, and Lucifer would have sworn that something was attached once more to his soles. Looking down he took a deep calming breath. Was it so difficult to keep the refreshments in their cups!? It was no wonder the station needed the Devil to transact their cases.

“Abuelita!” the short woman squealed while still dragging him by his suit only to bump through hands, shoulders and buttocks. And there she was. They say big things come in small packages. He could attest that terrifying ones also applied to that rule.

A small hunched woman in a wheelchair was inspecting the buffet with obvious disinterest and a hint of dismay. This human's whole form was wrinkled, and her apparel prepared him for what he already knew. Dad’s fanatic groupie straight ahead. _Abort!_ He had to abort somehow, but Ella’s right hand got a better grip of his sleeve making his cufflinks to dig into his immortal flesh.

Everything about that woman cried out, age and senility, everything except her eyes. How could see even make out anything around her was a miracle really. That eyes glinted with anticipation when her granddaughter came into her view, and a small shining smile played in front of her obviously replaced denture.

“Noella!”

"Now that explains quite a lot," Lucifer murmured under his breath. 

But for that one moment he believed that this might actually work, Lucifer relaxed his stance and flashed a charming smile from the top of Ella’s head. Women of every age swooned over his salacious grin. It was a short-lived change in his mood as the woman’s smile disappeared and her eyes narrowed behind her large, thick lenses.

“Ita, this is our special consultant Sammy.” Ella hastily introduced him feeling the change in the air. 

Forcing a smile, she took him from behind her and pushed him towards the piano near the end of the table. It was then when the previously innocent grandmother grabbed his sleeve.

“What is with the women of this family and their glee over destroying my suits' sleeves?” Lucifer wondered out loud to no one in particular.

The old woman’s eyes inspected him from top to bottom, and with a sharp pull, she forced him to bow to her eye-level. As far as he could see things developing from that point onwards, he would either end up with a cougar granny groping a handful or a bloody lumbago. To the Hell with the height of this family, he had enough. He released his sleeve from her grasp and made his way to the piano, trouser department and lower back intact.

“Up to your standards?” Ella questioned anxiously, but her eyes were locked with her Grandmother’s.

The instrument was old, and the keys were chipped in certain places. It didn’t hold much promise, but whoever knew little about pianos it was the interior maintenance that counted most. New strings and the well-cared wood. He stood up just enough to take a peek underneath the top board. From what he could tell the turning pins and the strings were properly cared and didn’t appear to be worn or lax.

“Only one way to find out I guess.” He scowled in concentration and hit a few keys. He hummed in appreciation to the sound and played around some more.

“Not bad, you will not suffer, I, on the contrary, will need weeks of therapy after this.” Lucifer declared giving her a dirty look. 

His hands were placed again on the keys and effortlessly started to play his instructed lounge melodies from the given list in front of him. _This.was.torture._

“Duende!” someone wheezed next to him and something hard collided with his left ribs making his hands flatter on the wrong keys. 

Without pausing the melody, Lucifer turned to see the infuriating aged Latina swinging her purse clutch and aiming his head for another blow. He barely ducked before catching mid-air the bag.

“Miss Lopez! Please control your maternal forebear!” He loudly shouted while disposing the bag on the top of the piano and eyes flashing dangerously to the previously adorable granny who was now flipping the bird at him.

“Now that is rude.” He admonished while rubbing his temples.

“Ita!” Ella breathlessly wailed and wheeled her grandmother at a safe distance from Lucifer.

“He is just an actor promise!” She started not knowing what had sparked the violent incident.

“He is even part Latino!” She revealed in hushed tones, and the elder’s eyes widened in delight.

“I’m what?” Lucifer demanded to know behind the piano’s bench.

“Well, at least his brother is.” Ella quietly admitted but her grandmother had already a change of heart, and from her cardigan’s pocket, she presented two small wrapped candies. 

 _'Senility in all its glory'_ Lucifer remarked inwardly.

“Still no clue and I’m not taking candies from strangers.” He suspiciously stared at the offered candy and repressed the urge to accept. So he had a sweet tooth. Big Deal. Gluttony was a sin after all. What’s one more in his list?

“Your parent's advice?” Ella quoted the well-known line while getting back the bag from the top of the piano.

“Beatrice’s actually.” Lucifer admitted with a slight flush on his ears.

“Buddy if you waited for Trixie to tell you that, I have no idea how your nieces and nephews have made it alive this far."

“Excuse me?” His face was bewildered and obviously, could not follow her reasoning.

“You said you have many siblings, I just assumed that you also have nieces and nephews.” Now that was a common logic for her petite human reasoning..

“We don’t procreate Miss Lopez!” Lucifer felt the need to inform her of how wrong she was. 

Dear Dad had made it clear that his biological children would never have that option. They were put in this world once upon a time to eventually guide his toys and not to play with them. Now that was a real pity as he had personally discovered.

“So you adopt?” Where she was finding this kind of logic, he would never know. But why break the disillusion of a human?

“You could say that…” Lucifer was not actually lying. 

Being appointed as a guardian angel was very much like adopt your own human this holiday season. Personally, he would take his chances with sea monkeys as Beatrice claimed to fair well under harsh conditions.

“So Jesus is adopted?” Ella took a seat on the piano bench next to him and peeled the wrapper from one of the candies her grandmother had given them.

“No, actually he was the only half brother we had.” 

The existence of that little rugrat had caused an uproar in Hell at the time. Mother had not taken cheating well, immaculate conception or not.

“Was?” She worriedly looked at him, and his mind drifted to another brother of his who was indeed gone and gone by his very own hand. 

His expression must have her mistaken one loss for another, and she started rubbing his left shoulder in comforting circles. Not that he noticed really.

“But you hate him.” That wasn’t a question. That much he knew. Not lying had its disadvantages and instead of replying he just nodded.

“Father gave something of mine to him while I was away.” This was a really sore subject for him. 

“It was the very first thing I had created for the sheer pleasure of it as a youngster.” 

Oh, he could remember it sparkle brightly in his hands. It had provided him with solace after the neglect had started and right before his fall Father had snatched it out of his very hands.

“What like your makeshift rattle or something?” Ella knew not to stir a reaction out of him at that moment. He was a good man, but there were times when an instability could be detected, and it was both unsettling and frightening.

“Or something.” his voice drowned and resurfaced memories of loss and longing enfolded him.

“I may not know much but in my family, handing down something precious is made to form a connection between siblings.” Ella had received many odd things as a baby and a toddler from her parents that originally belonged to her brothers. An old favourite toy from Achilles or a pair of knitted socks from Jorge.

“Just think about it. Perhaps he wanted to give him something from you when you weren’t around to do it yourself.” She explained and got up to cover with a light blanket her now dozing grandmother.

He had never thought the possibility of his Father’s adoration to still be there, but it was true that despite his brother being also his Father, he had never met him at least in that kind of form.

 If he had still been at home at the time, he would have been expected to perhaps gift something, but regardless he never got around to do it anyway. So that was why the first light he had ever made had been used in such a way? What bothered him most was that no matter how absurd this was, Lucifer mourned the lost chance to gift something to a brother who had never met.

“Lucifer!” A familiar force knocked his breath, and his arms got a hold of her fast enough to steady her. 

If Beatrice was here that meant that soon more familiar faces would follow. Perhaps he would get a hint later tonight on what was now packed in the Detective’s closet for him, although unfortunately, it was to be received in almost a month away.

“There is a triple chocolate cake at the other end of the table.” Lucifer whispered to the adorable little spawn and turned to resume his playing.

“And then carolling?” Trixie asked him with an obvious sugar-fueled excitement. He would need to have a talk with a certain demon over the child's snacks at some point.

“If you can find Ella,” he winked at her and shooed her away.

With a new resolution in mind which he knew it was foolish, Lucifer decided that it would be a one-time thing only. No personal attachment beyond this night and he certainly knew that the other end of this deal wouldn’t exactly care what he wanted to give. Yet the Devil had gone soft and just for one night; he decided that with no consequences he would be free to do as he pleased.

“I was summoned I believe.” Ella’s voice warmed him up, and he patted the bench for her to sit next to him. 

She observed how his body had relaxed and his face was graced by the rare combination of an innocent smile and soft untroubled eyes.

“Do you know your carols, Ella?” Lucifer asked softly and took her hands into his. She returned the relaxed smile and gestured him to hover his fingers over the ivory keys.

The hours passed in comfortable singing and playing. Not even Beatrice bothered them much, although at some point she had found her way to his lap and had then attached herself to his chest like the little munchkin Detective Douche always claimed her to be. 

Lucifer had been late by a couple of millennia, but a birthing gift was never overdue in his book. It took him longer to understand the meaning of things but in a rum scented and raspberry tasting galaxy he would give his gift under his own terms and timing.

As the wee hours of the morning arrived and the crowd had now scattered to find a place to rest, Lucifer still held the little girl in his arms while the sassy Latina had long lost the battle with exhaustion over his left shoulder.

 Finishing the last carol for the night, the Devil pondered that he could not wait to see what more this holiday season had in store for him. His fingers finally played the last few verses absently over the keys, and Lucifer's eyes flickered on a slender resting figure in the distance.

“Just have a little patience…”

 

* * *

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

 


	2. Walk 8766 Miles in my Elven Shoes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Kidnapping Dan was a necessary evil for Lucifer. After all, in his book, a promise is a promise and the Devil will go to great lengths this holiday season to keep his.
> 
> Last Edited: 11/Jul/2017

* * *

 

**Walk 8766 Miles in my Elven Shoes**

 

7th of December, 18:00

“Lucifer are you sure about this?” Douche clasped his hands and rubbed them together nervously while stealing glances from the half-opened door.

“It’s a mission, just pull yourself together and hop your way around this” Lucifer growled and readjusted his well-fitted trousers. 

This was not what he would have signed for merely, but two pairs of eyes held the promise of retaliation if he backed down now.

“I’m not the Easter Bunny!” Dan raked his fingers through his tousled hair and his shoulders slumped in defeat.

“You could have fooled me with those ears,” Lucifer whistled and caught effortlessly what Maze had thrown him effectively missing Dan’s wounded glare. Maze winked at both of them and joined the crowd outside the door.

“And she thought that there was nothing she could learn from humanity.” Lucifer mused and took a deep breath preparing himself for the inevitable.

”I though she wasn’t the mothering type.” Dan could still not fathom how things had turned out the way they did. Lucifer turned to look at him, and Dan caught the dramatic rolling of his eyes.

“Torture, Douche. I’m talking about torture!” Shaking his head, Lucifer pondered what he was about to do under the pressure of a Demon with forged in hell daggers and _something_ unconditionally.

'This is it'

* * *

 

(48 hours prior)

 

His head was pounding, and from the vile aftertaste in his mouth, Dan certainly had a pleasant evening that previous day. That, of course, did not explain why he was wheeled out to the freezing cold.

“Chop, chop no time to lose!” A chuckling Lucifer took him by his underarms and threw him carelessly in the backseat of a car.

“Feet in!” Dan felt his legs being lightly kicked inside and a door closing much louder than he would have liked at his current state.

From the backseat, he was now lying on, he could see outside the window an ominously cloudy sky passing quickly through his eyes. The speed of the car must certainly something to do with that as well. 

With a groan, Dan massaged his temples, but a drilling headache was still there. A sigh of contempt came from the driver and he felt something hard hitting his stomach.

“I’ve put enough Advil in your right pocket to make you moderately functional for this. Go ahead, what use you will be if you’re driven mad? Espcially by such as a pathetic reason!” Lucifer joked and took one more sharp turn.

Blindingly Dan found the small water bottle and with some struggle retrieved two pills from his pocket. Downing them quickly he slowly drifted to a troubling sleep for the remaining of the ride. 

The next time Dan woke up, he could hear the hushed tones from outside the car when unexpectedly the car door opened to reveal a grinning Lucifer.

“Look who’s up!” Lucifer greeted and urged him to a sitting position too quickly for his taste. 

With Lucifer next to him he had the chance for the first time to look once again outside the window. Lucifer handed him a cup of steaming coffee and by the way, he was checking his watch, Dan knew that he had better finish his hot drink as quickly as possible.

“Are we in Boston?” Dan sipped his coffee slowly and the dizziness he was plugged with since he had woken up started to clear up. Then again it was a welcoming alternative to a splitting headache.

“Have you ever been to Boston, Detective?” 

By Lucifer's indifferent tone, Dan was not about to share the long forgotten cross-country trip he had done with his family as a child.

“So you dragged me across the whole country and from the lingering bitterness I would assume that you also drugged me!” He had his suspicions when he had first woken up, but when Lucifer’s shoulders lifted in a golden shrug on the accusation, he finally had his confirmation.

“Firstly not across the whole country, but half the globe, if the word _half_ makes you more at ease.” Lucifer uncrossed his legs and took the last sip from his hot beverage before shaking the cup to confirm that indeed it was empty.

“Secondly, not my fault you went through my Tuesdays’ old habit leftovers.” He admitted with no real remorse.

“You use drug-spiked drinks?” Dan bellowed and accidentally crushed his paper cup.

“Now look what you have done!” Lucifer offered him his handkerchief to clean the mess taking his own cup out of the window for a man to quickly take it away.

“To be clear. Tuesdays were my high days. I never offered substances, drugged or took advantage of anyone under any kind of influence, not even the Detective.” Lucifer had to be honest if he wanted this errand to be over soon and get back home just in time for breakfast.

“Are you at least clean now?” Dan questioned him, and Lucifer gave him a pointed look.

Opening the car’s door, Lucifer paused for a bit before bending down and with a rare firmness in his voice delivered Dan his answer.

“I’m sparkling actually, and we are now late.” Coffee time was over and with some difficulty, wet pants and all, Dan made it out of the car. 

The blinding lights were manageable, but this was certainly not Boston. In a daze, Dan followed Lucifer through the grand doors. For what seemed like forever they turned through corners and went up through different escalators to finally find themselves in front of a modest wooden door elevator.

“Which floor my lord?” The middle-aged man inside the elevator questioned politely Lucifer in wonder. Lucifer discreetly passed the man smoothly what Dan could recognise as several bills.

“To Bryson’s office if you please.”

“You’re a lord?” Dan whispered while trying to get more comfortable in the confined space. 

Lucifer ignored him until the elevator’s doors opened again and flashed his winning smile to the man behind the desk. If a room could scream money and power, this certainly was. A completely wooden dressed office packed with the finest trifling decorations he had ever seen greeted his sleep dazed eyes. 

“Clive!” Lucifer cried in delight, and it appeared to be well received from the short guy behind the desk. With his shaggy hair and a short posture, when Clive hugged Lucifer the difference in height was rather comical.

“My lord!” Clive gushed in adoration and hurried to pour a drink for his apparently esteemed guest completely ignoring Dan in the process.

“Enough with the pleasantries man, do you have what I commissioned?” Instead of drinking from the glass he was given Lucifer passed it to Dan, and after a quick scanning, he helped himself from a bottle underneath the bar.

“You still hide the good stuff aren’t you Mr Bryson?” Lucifer teased and generously filled three fingers of neat scotch just to spite the man. Not that it was possible really. 

How Clive's sub-servitude nature had landed him this job, he would never now. The small man just massaged the back of his neck which changed Lucifer’s pleasant disposition.

“Almost everything my lord, please do check what is ready.” Clive gestured towards a large pack of neatly arranged packages at the nearest table which Lucifer quickly started to inspect with no real care for the world.

“He is a lord?” Dan couldn’t help but ask the short man next to him. Clive's eyes lightened mischievously over sharing a well-guarded secret.

“All I know is that he is a King’s son and that he holds several hush-hush titles.” Clive spoke softly as Lucifer was going through every package two or three times.

“Clive!” an infuriated Lucifer snapped. 

“Something of great importance is missing! Where are the shoes?” It was obvious how a stare from the self-proclaimed Devil could paralyse grown men. 

Clive was certainly slightly trembling and was attempting to find a way to explain why something like that was missing.

“Hold that thought.” Lucifer forcefully ordered Clive and took out his vibrating mobile.

“Hello Detective!” He cheered over the phone. 

“Yes, he is here,” he affirmed with a fake wounded stance.

“At a mall of course. Well, kind of… Now, now would I ever lie to you?” Lucifer's deep seductive voice came to play. 

“Fine!” he whined and put the phone in Dan’s ear. 

“Say hi.” Lucifer instructed eyes flashing with an unspoken warning. 

“Hi?”

“See? Yes, pass her through. Maze... Oh, I see-” Lucifer scratched the back of his head and marched to take a seat on the large wooden desk. 

He started scribbling things down in a hurry and proceeded to ask several hushed questions. No longer than he had his phone back to his pocket he was dragging him towards the elevator.

“Clive I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Your commission will be tripled if you have everything you owe me as well as the additional ones by then.” Lucifer instructed the man who was now reading Lucifer's notes carefully.

 Before Clive could reply they were back in the elevator and the only word Lucifer had uttered to the man was _down_.

Dan didn’t bother the man when they entered what appeared to be an ancient pub deep under the foundations of the building they were in. It was a smart decision to let him let some steam out. When Lucifer returned from the bar, he set on the table a cold soda in front of Dan while he held a teacup.

“It’s difficult to find a properly made tea nowadays, but you can always unscrew a bottle.” With a hum of appreciation, Lucifer enjoyed the fragrance of his hot drink and relaxed back at the hard wooden booth.

“Care to explain all this?” Where to start with the questions. Dan went from a being hangover and drugged to making shammy deals with Lucifer in a matter of a few hours.

“Let’s see,” Lucifer drawled smoothly. 

“London, Harrods, VIP service, a lord indeed and I need you sober for tomorrow night.” Lucifer despised to be at the mercy of the man across him even if Dan didn’t really know that.

“Look, Detective.” Lucifer signed with only a hint of remorse and not really placed in the situation he had dragged him in.

“I promised that I would include you to this.”

 When Dan attempted to ask to what exactly he was just forced into, Lucifer held a hand for him to allow him to continue.

“Beatrice wants you there tomorrow, and If I had to kidnap you half across the world to make sure that happens and moreover have everything she requires under the threat of torture then that's what I had to do.” Lucifer's words were deliberately pronounced and carried the graveness of the situation. What the Devil promises, he delivers.

"The torture part is optional by the way." Lucifer grumpled as if remembering an other promise he had made to the Detective. 

“Damn it Lucifer; It’s just an elementary show! There is a huge bust for a three billion worth of cocaine cargo at the port tomorrow.” Dan’s unblinkingly focused his eyes on Lucifer and then titled his head back in frustration.

“You are not a bad father Dan.” Lucifer sighed, but the reluctance was carrying the exact opposite belief.

“Your work is grand and everything, but human life is fleeting and childhood not even a second of that time. Children are a responsibility not limited to cakes and obedience. That much I do know.” Lucifer slowly stirred his tea and ordered with the raise of his hand a second cup.

Children always meant responsibility but also a target of enforcing idiotic beliefs. Lucifer’s greatest abhorrence towards human reproduction was the restriction of free will. Why bring a young into the world just so to mould and restrict it at each and every turn? In a game of no clear rules the shackles were certainly there and tightened at every turn, may  be it a wrong or right turn.

“I do, I do know that but lives of thousands are equally important!” Dan thickly swallowed his own guilt over turning down Trixie’s pleas.

“I’m trying to be a good father, be there and do things right, but until you join fatherhood you will never know how it is.” Dan pinched his nose and nursed some of his soda to cool down.

“Believe me, I neither intend to, nor I’m able to endeavour to such an adventure.” Lucifer huffed in annoyance and if not for his immortality he would have scalded his lips for a second time this evening.

“At first it was easy,” Dan recalled his thrust into parenthood. 

“I never knew why she approached me that night at the beach bar and why she picked me but a year later Trixie was here.”  Dan remembered how Trixie was lovely but feisty as a baby, yet the demands of fatherhood were always more than he could give.

“Well, that was quick,” Lucifer humorlessly mumbled and checked his watch. Knitting his brows, he checked his mobile, and a small smile graced his lips.

“Soon everything will be ready, and so we will take our leave. Therefore, we have exactly one hour for getting some mindless shopping done.” With that Lucifer handed him several large bills and hurridly left the pub, leaving Dan staring the elevator in absolute bewilderment.

* * *

 

7th of December, 18:02 

 

“We would like to thank the parents of our elementary students for their help and participation tonight!” The ever bored principle announced in a forced cheering voice.

“First act for tonight The Sleigh Ride!”.

The lights dimmed, and Chloe was still fuming. Dan had blown this once again and Lucifer perhaps for the first time ever had lied to her. He had promised he had it under control. Although she didn’t hold much hope of Dan making an appearance tonight, Lucifer had sworn to Trixie that he would attend even if Hell froze over. Something that once he had claimed to be arrangeable.

“Hey there!” A slim figure took the seat next to her, and before she could explain that it was saved for someone else, she saw Maze fumbling with her phone.

“Where is Lucifer? He pr-“ Maze gave her a scandalised look and brought her index to her lips. 

The music started, and she could see her little girl tapping her way around in a spectacular elven suit. A suit that she certainly was not the one Chlow had bought a week ago. Despite Trixie’s reluctance to do girlish nonsense, her words, she had accepted the part for this Christmas sketch with great pleasure.

When the first part of the song was over a dramatic entrance was to be done for-

“Lucifer!?” Chloe yelped in surprise and Maze gave her one more stern look. 

Instead for Trixie’s eight-year-old partner, there was Lucifer tap dancing his way around in perfect synchronisation with her daughter over the original The Sleigh Ride song. In his effort to not make the height difference too great, Lucifer was slouched just enough to make himself seem shorter but not affect his fluid movements. The only detail which ruined the fluidity of the act was the hopping Santa at the background. A Santa with the same awkwardness as…

“No way,” Che whispered and felt her fingers touch her dry lips.

Lucifer's taps were giving a great effect to Trixie’s quiet ones but without ever surpassing her rhythm. His curved large black leather elven shoes didn’t seem to be a problem, and neither were Trixie’s bright coloured ones. Again shoes which she certainly had not bought herself.

“Gail had a nasty fall and broke his leg, so we had to substitute him and fast.” Maze filled her in quietly enough for the camera she was holding to not catch her voice.

“Lucifer had everything custom made and insisted on taking the boy’s place.” A chuckle escaped Chloe as Lucifer and Trixie did a small swirl and both giggled in delight.

“And Dan?”

“Kidnapped for about three days now.” Maze said with a bored expression which Chloe had learned followed that no more information would be given on that topic.

The Christmas celebration was over much faster than they had originally anticipated and both women searched the small crowd for the notable green and red hats. Surely enough Lucifer could be seen in the distance being lavished to the attention of several mothers who raved over his and her daughter’s matching outfits. But mostly over his stripped tights, Chloe sighed in her inner thoughts.

“Detective” Lucifer exclaimed in his best child-like imitation. 

The attached elf ears were securely glued on the velvet hat but wiggled whenever he cocked his head as a signal for her daughter to protect him from the rest of the children around him.

“You were great, both of you!” Chloe told Trixie and a huge smile rewarded her.

“Now where is your Dad?” She wondered out loud.

“He had a narcotics bust and an awful headache,” Lucifer answered her and lifted Beatrice to his arms. 

He was literally swarmed by dirty little spawns and had no desire to spend his impending holidays with the Detective worrying over an sick child. That and the fact that Beatrice in a bad mood was as terrifying as her mother. Therefore, an easily preventable flu catching was out of the question to be let to chance.

“Lucifer you did tap danced next to him in a plane for at least twelve hours straight out of the total seventeen of the flight, what did you expect from a mere human?” Maze chastised him and took Beatrice in her arms ready for a quick exit.

Chloe took a closer look of his outfit and folded her hands. His innocent face was not fooling her especially when his sly grin was in place.

“What kind of flight lasts for seventeen hours?” Chloe drew nearer and saw him slightly swaying on his feet. Whether it was from the twelve hours of practice or her proximity he couldn’t tell but he would adamantly support the first.

“An unconditional something of 8766 miles for the perfect elven footwear, I suppose.” Lucifer easily told her following Maze and Beatrice towards the exit.

 

 

* * *

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

 


	3. My Mutineer Santa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Maze had been entrusted with the Christmas grocery shopping. Amenadiel just wanted to get into her good graces. He should have known. Never let a demon make purchases at the spree of the moment. How will the rest react?
> 
> Last Edited: 11/Jul/2017

* * *

 

**My Mutineer Santa**

 

Redemption was not an easy task. But seeking to be forgiven by a demon of hell was not supposed to be that difficult. In just three hours they had ventured through five different grocery stores to find everything Chloe had requested from Maze for Christmas. How all of the necessary items of the list could disappear just ten days before Christmas was a mystery to him.

“Got the last jar!” a gleeful Maze hopped next to him and scratched the last item from the shopping list. Amenadiel looked at her puzzled - that last jar of mustard was not supposed to make Maze grin like that.

“Check out?” Amenadiel asked hopefully and tried not to pull the cart too quickly when she nodded. 

By the way, she was checking the list; it seemed as though she had forgotten something, but then she crumbled the paper into a ball and threw it in the nearest bin. With a sign of relief, he spotted the first available cashier and rushing Amenadiel started to unload the trolley.

“$354.63 in total sir.” The cashier informed him in a bored tone, and dumbly he gave her his credit card.

Amenadiel looked the now filled with bags cart to find Maze clutching a large green box to her chest. He knew that there was no way French mustard could be priced $300.

“Trixie is going to love it!” She told him with a rare, meaning sans bloody daggers, enthusiasm.

“Maze… are you sure? That thing is… unholy.” 

Amenadiel could not understand many things which came with Christmas but what that box contained did not make any sense to him, _period_.

“The kid misses the open garden so she wanted one big enough to be outside, but also small enough to not violate the complex's regulations.” 

Trixie’s rare tantrums were legendary in the Decker household. Lately, though, Chloe seemed to be more lenient with the child.

Amenadiel just shrugged and thanked his Father that he would not be the one walking outside of his apartment to greet that monstrosity every day.

“Attention! First aid is needed in aisle fourteen; I repeat first aid is needed in aisle fourteen!” The shaky voice of a teenager came from the grocery's speakers.

“Maze…” Amenadiel looked at her suspiciously.

“It was the last jar! Now let’s go, this thing needs two to be put together!” Making a quick exit was always her thing. Amenadiel just shook his head as they hastily made their way out.

 

* * *

 

_*Later in the evening*_

 

“Maze!” Chloe’s voice screeched outside their apartment’s door. 

Amenadiel jumped slightly from the couch where he had been dozing on and off for the past few hours. Christmas shopping was a tiresomely cruel thing to subject anyone to, angel or not.

The door opened, and the small human ran directly towards Maze. She grabbed the demon around the knees, jumping up and down and soon the two of them both shared the same delighted expression.

“This is awesome!” Trixie yelled and sprinted out once more when Chloe and Lucifer finally made it in the house.

"Maze! Why is there a three-meter tall inflatable Gremlin-like creature wearing a Santa outfit outside?" 

Chloe was obviously having the same reaction of horror that Amenadiel had before he had even put together that ungodly thing outside.

“I told you.” Amenadiel quietly said, and Maze shot him an annoying look. _'Sooo not redeemed then.'_

“But Detective!” An elated Lucifer cut in,with his hands in his pockets, while his body was slowly swaying in obvious excitement.

“It’s Santa Yoda!” He told her in an uncommonly for him high pitched voice, and the swaying intensified to involuntary hops.

“Lucifer! Come out!” Trixie called from the door. 

Lucifer took off his jacket and threw it towards Amenadiel before joining the child outside. They all knew he was starting to run low on presentable jackets because of the kid after all. 

“That’s Yoda?” Chloe asked, baffled.

“I just read Santa, and I thought it would look cool.” Maze admitted, but from Trixie’s reaction, she had chosen well.

“So he is a Star Wars fan…” Chloe whispered pulling aside the curtain,

Watching outside of her windor as Lucifer and Trixie played around the inflatable Santa Yoda was a hilarious sight. Trixie would sometimes jump and Lucifer complied every time by cathcing her mid-air and lifting her higher up to hit the inflatable lightsaber lightly.

“Loves it actually.” Maze told her, watching her lord playing around with her favourite human.

“For over two years he was quoting, _Come to the Dark Side_.” Maze giggled when Lucifer jumped to poke Yoda’s Santa hat.

The duo outside had the time of their lives while chanting over and over again, _Mars Christmas_. Maze, Chloe and Amenadiel had all moved to the window, watching them in amusement. It was amazing how something so trivial had both of them so enthralled.

“I still cannot believe we are related.” Amenadiel grumbled.

 

* * *

  _To be Continued..._

* * *

 


	4. Lucifer in the Sky with Lions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Having Lucifer as a forced house guest was never the plan. Neither was him tagging along for the most important errant of this holiday season. Thankfully, he claims to have plenty of experience but does he really?
> 
> Last Edited: 11/Jul/2017

* * *

 

**Lucifer in the Sky with Lions**

 

Lucifer's fingers drummed the rusted edges of the car’s window. The pleasant warm air had been replaced for the past half an hour by a soft chilling temperature. What had also changed in the past half an hour was  the scenery. Long past were the fancy L.A. houses, the well-maintained road and the beautifuly trimmed bushes.

With some reluctance, he took the warmer jacket the Detective had offered him before leaving the house and he secured around his neck the hideous scratchy scarf Trixie had entrusted him to lose at some point. When he let out a sigh of contentment, now feeling somewhat warmer, he saw the Detective smirking slightly due to his persistence prior to leaving that the extra clothing was unnecessary. He had been wrong...

“I never knew you were into getting frisky al fresco, Detective.” Lucifer joked just this once without caring  for her bothered reaction. Not expecting for a reply  he let a sigh and relaxed back to his seat.

Short bushes gave way to small trees and some odd fir trees started making an appearance to the far distance. There were getting higher if the thin layer of snow which covered the landscape ahead could at least tell him. Lucifer would have commented on the serene tranquillity but how could he compliment the San Gabriel Mountains?

“How long will the bathroom renovations take?” Chloe interrupted his reverie and saw him turning his body towards her.

“Not long now, they are just waiting for the new bathtub.” 

Ordering a new bathtub had been easy but the actual shipping had evetually taken over a fortnight. In the meantime, he had taken refuge to Maze’s and the Detective’s house. Much to the displeasure of the second. 

“It’s been about two weeks now Lucifer and the couch will not be getting any more comfortable.” 

How had he forced himself on her house Chloe had no clue. Probably it was the third time she had caught him getting out of her shower. She just presumed that whatever had made him want to cohabitate with a child must have been a grave reason. A bathtub had certainly not been on the top of her list.

“If you were gracious enough to share a bed I wouldn’t have to worry about that now, would I?” Lucifer told her in good humour. 

It had taken Chloe a while but after living with the man, she had discovered him to be an oxymoron borderline between the most adorable and obnoxious living person on the planet.

“In your dreams, buddy.” she teased him lightly in return.

“That can be arranged.” His semi-serious flirtatious mood was immediately back. 

When Lucifer saw her smile widening and then taking her tongue out at him he huffed and turned back to the window. Annoyance and being worked up never worked well with her in confining spaces. Especially with his current virginal and Mars-attacks-over-tea nights with Beatrice.

“If you stop sulking I might give you an early present.” 

Chloe sang making his ears perk and his attention being reverted right back at her. Reaching back for her purse Chloe fumbled for a bit and took out a long package. She never had the time to wrap it but if this wasn’t going to shift his mood, nothing ever would until he had a stiff drink.

A little card fell on Lucifer's lap and a perplexed frown was set on his features as he opened the box to reveal six small purple bells inside.

“A custom made order, Detective?” Lucifer asked intrigued. What more was into bells than shape and ringing?

“I never took you for a campanology lover.” He teased examining closer the white sprinkled edges of the purple bells.

She shifted uncomfortably in her car seat and glanced his way.

“They have been coloured as devil’s bells. The flower that is.” Chloe murmured while taking one more closed turn.

“And it appears to be more than that.” He murmured.

Taking one of the bells out Lucifer could now see that each bell had a different photohtaph printed on.

The six small bells held pictures of every important person in his life and a couple that were certainly not on his favourites list. Amenadiel, Maze, Linda, the Detective along with Beatrice were the most treasured ones. One of them was not holding a photograph but instead the words Mom and Dad written in an elegant script.

Still holding the bell with the Detective’s picture alongside Beatrice, he jiggled it and sure enough, a soft ringing sounded in the car making Chloe pat his knee with what he would dare to describe as affection.

 

* * *

 

“We’re here.” Chloe announced as she stopped the car near a narrow hiking path. Reaching behind her seat she retrieved the two large backpacks and handed Lucifer one of them.

“Where are you taking me, Detective?” The backpack was heavy and the proximity to Chloe had him shivering at the chilling mountain air.

“To your natural habitat of course!” Chloe told him tapping lightly a nearby yellow sign on which it was written 'Devil’s Canyon'. Adjusting with difficulty the backpack on her shoulders, she took the small, dusted with snow path.

“How you tease me woman!” He yelled and ran towards the source of her chuckling.

After passing a small creek there was a modest sized arrangement of trees, most of which had lost their leaves for the winter.

Chloe placed her backpack on the snowed ground and took out a few strands of rope and some pieces of brown burlap. Then by setting aside some tree branches behind her Lucifer finally saw why they had to come this far. Hidden behind the thickly entangled branches were three magnificent blue-grey firs.

“My father brought the bigger one from up north a few months before I was born.” She told him choked with emotion.

“They are certainly unique.” Lucifer felt the smoothness of the needles between his fingers, marvelling how its colour was slightly changing at every different angle.

“Yes, well I come by every year to make sure they are doing well. But it was not until a few weeks before Trixie was born when this little one made an appearance.” She laughed softly and pointed the fir which was standing nearly at the same height as him.

“Then a few years ago this little cutie came along but it’s still too fragile.” Frowning she checked the one which barely reached up her waist, between its needles and indeed the fir was growing but not as well as she would have hoped.

“So why on earth do you want me to cut it, Detective?” He was averse to cut down something so alive. 

Christmas came with many kinds of absurd traditions but cutting a perfectly good tree for decoration was not what he would define as a festive activity.

“Not cut it! Dig it out! You told me you had experience on digging!” she cried out.

“Detective, I fear my kind of digging down to business, was not in the same context your fragile sensitivities are!” Lucifer shouted in return and threw carelessly his backpack with a soundless plop on the snow.

Chloe took several calming breaths, opened Lucifer’s backpack and retrieved the shovel and a saw. Throwing to Lucifer the small bag of freshly brewed tea and the gingerbread disasters Trixie and Maze had baked just the day before, Chloe started digging the soft soil around the medium-sized fir.

“Detective, just give it here!” Lucifer commanded and grabbed the shovel from her hands which now appeared rather small for him to use. With several awkward plunges on the ground, a circular pit was soon made around the tree.

“What did you think, that the pits of Hell dug themselves?” He asked her when he saw Chloe's questioning look of how fast he was working on the task at hand.

“Well, at the beginning at least?” Having left the pits of Hell for the pits of San Gabriel Mountains, this was not exactly what he had in mind when he had left for his everlasting vacation.

“I want Trixie to have this tree in our house even if it's even just for a year ” He heard Chloe talking quietly behind him.

“I was planning on planting it afterwards in the garden but now we will just have to do a return trip after Christmas.” 

The loss of their first house with Dan and then her mother's had bothered her more than she was willing to admit. It had also affected her daughter but that could also be the fast approaching Christmas Day.

“There is always a solution, Detective.” Came Lucifer's muffled reply underneath the branches while he was using the saw on the unnecessary smaller roots.

Chloe smiled at the sight of an undignified Lucifer slumped down the ground just so to free a tree from its roots. At every jerking of the saw, she could hear the bells faintly ringing from his jacket’s left pocket. It had been a good choice for a pre-Christmas present. Innocent yet intimate. To be clear, intimate according to her context, not his.

Breathing heavily Lucifer lifted the tree and Chloe placed the coarse burlap covering the exposed roots. To his surprise, the tree was not as heavy as he had expected it to be at first.

“I’ll just take the backpacks to the car and I’ll be back to move the tree together, okay?” She handed him the rope to tie the branches and left him looking down dumbly, wondering on how to proceed.

The sweating warming up Lucifer had experienced from digging out the tree was not replaced by the expected chilliness. With Chloe getting further away, he could feel his body relaxing to the optimum temperature and his scuffed hands slowly healing as he rolled the tree around the rope. Finally satisfied with his work, Lucifer lifted the fir experimentally and decided to take advantage of his invulnerability while Chloe was away to get back to the car in the best condition possible.

When he reached the creek, he felt the tree getting heavier and the cold seeping down his previously sweated neck.

“Lucifer don’t move,” Chloe begged him from the other side of the creek. 

Confused he complied and saw her reaching for her gun only to realise it wasn’t there. A low growling from behind him was the last thing he heard before being pushed into the creek's shallow waters.

“Run Detective!” He stuttered in the freezing water trying to avoid the large feline’s claws under the thankfully, well-wrapped tree.

“Lucifer run!”

“Not bloody likely! You run away from me woman!” He yelled and ducked another clawed overlarge paw. 

When the prickling from the cold water diminished he felt brave enough to get a hold of the animal’s neck and pin it down.

“Brother’s pet aren’t you?” Lucifer hissed at the mountain lion only for the animal to growl back in defiance.

That sneer was so similar to Gabriel's one. Although Lucifer held no power over animals be it in their will or soul, his gift of getting out their deepest desires proved to be useful once more.

“I believe we have a deal then” 

The lion stopped struggling beneath him and Lucifer released it. At the sound of two gunshots, he knew that a panicking Detective was coming his way so he picked up quickly the tree and sprinted to the car.

When they finally managed to put the now wet tree in the car, they were both shaking violently. Him from the cold and Chloe by the fright. Lucifer closed loudly the car's door and took off the drenched scarf while waiting for Chloe to get in the car. 

At the sight of the mountain lion slowly approaching Chloe hurrdely got inside and her breathing hitched. The engine sparked to life and suddenly the car moved almost violently backwards. Before she could take a hold of herself and steady the car on the frozen road, Lucifer had opened the window and threw out Trixie’s scarf and one of the small bells she had given him.

“I thought I told you to run back there.” She snapped at him, hurt from throwing away a piece of his customised gift.

“When you wrestle a mountain lion, Detective, in the middle of a creek, you are in no position to run!”  Lucifer replied calmlyand focused back on the bells box. 

All bells were there apart from Dan’s which had been sacrificed for his deal with the oversized cat. The car abruptly stopped and Chloe snatched the box from his hands.

Her features softened when she realised which bell was missing and he would have sworn that a small smile played on her lips. Although Lucifer would have preferred to be dry and properly fed, if there was a moment for a first snog this was the one. Scooting closer to her, he was ready to initiate the first kiss when his pocket vibrated. Chloe unaware of the passing moment, gave him back the box and restarted the car once again.

 _'Tune now in 102.7 FM'._ That was the laconic message the good Doctor had sent him.

Searching for the right button on the car’s panel Lucifer managed to get a somewhat decent reception of the station at this altitude. Stealing a peek of Chloe he found that she didn’t mind him much and kept her eyes on the road.

 

_"You are listening to KIIS FM 102.7 an odd song request has just arrived with the following message:_

_“Lucy thanks for the cruise tickets, now take the hint you two!” , Cold December Night for Lucy then!"_

 

Under her questioning gaze, he hurriedly lowered the volume and a blushing Lucifer found a keen interest on looking the passing scenery. Drenched from head to toe, hands blistered by digging and with several grazing scratches from his previously unfortunate encounter with the overgrown cat, Lucifer made a truly lovable sight in her opinion and so she adjusted the air-conditioning a few degrees higher.

“Take us home Detective.” He murmured affectionately feeling his ears once again flushing in embarrassment. For the rest of the ride home, the radio was quietly playing whilst Lucifer was openly looking at her with a wistful expression. For what exactly, he wasn't even sure himself.

 

_They call it the season of giving,_

_I’m here I’m yours for the taking._

_So kiss me in this cold December night._

_Just... fall in love with me this Christmas..._

 

* * *

  _To be Continued..._

* * *

 


	5. A Tree for the Latchkey Kid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Amenadiel is house-sitting for Lucifer. For the past year, he knew that his dear brother was changing yet this holiday season a discovery will make him realise just how far this change goes. Thankfully the good doctor is there to help or at least she gets credit for trying.

* * *

 

**A Tree for the Latchkey Kid**

 

With only a few days away from Christmas, Lucifer’s penthouse for the first time had been decorated with every silly object tradition dictated. Mistletoes were hanging from every door and colourful garlands were gracing the bar. Long gone were the expensive liquor bottles from the first shelves. Instead, exotic cocoa blends were stocked along with jars full of colourful marshmallows and finely crushed peppermint candy canes. 

And then there was a not so festive Amenadiel seating on the couch, glaring the artificial Christmas tree which was strategically positioned behind the piano. He had been there for the plumber and his crew. Even for the horticulturist and the architects. For the every damn, delivery and signing. His brother was indeed an experienced torturer. How could a favour drag him this far down?

At the dinging of the elevator, he let out a shaky breath and stood up to face the next errand for the day. Relief flood him when he saw Linda getting out in a very cheerful disposition. 

“I came to find an angel and an angel I found!” She put down her purse on the piano’s bench and after a while of intelligible muttering, she placed carefully under the Christmas tree a couple of packages. 

“Two actually.” He grumbled and pointed the tree topper. 

“Oh, my…” On the top of the tree was a flashy black angel topper. Now that she had a moment to actually look the tree, it was a far cry from the carefully decorated Christmas tree she had expected to find in Lucifer’s penthouse. The ornaments were all sloppily handcrafted from different kind of materials. Painted water-bottle caps, paper clipped creations and even burned gingerbread cookies were hanging from the branches. 

“Maze calls me Carmen Miranda for the past few days and I’m sure it’s that thing to blame!” He lamented his bad luck. His brother had made him look like a fool on top of being his errand boy. 

“I can see that but it's Christmas Amenadiel, teasing within the family is allowed and I believe your brother really cares for you.” she reasoned the best she could and sensing that this would take a while, she took a seat in one of the comfortable leather armchairs. 

“That man is not my brother! I barely know him anymore!” He shouted in frustration. All the bubbling irritation of the past two weeks was finally founding an outlet. 

“Your brother grows into the man he can be. A gentle, caring and honest to the fault man. Set aside what he should be and embrace what he becomes.” Now, this she could handle. Disagreements between siblings were never pretty but as a doctor and most importantly a friend she had to take her leave only after Amenadiel’s pent-up feelings had been analysed and expressed for his own good. 

“He is no man doctor! He is a fallen angel!” Having been so worked up, he found great comfort in not only finally discussing this troubling matter but in pacing around which proved to be quite therapeutic in its own way. 

“No, he is a lost boy who only now is allowed to grow. Don’t you want to see the best he can be?” she asked him in a very calm voice. Lucifer was unstable. A child and a teen with the power and the desires of a man.

She had feared since the very beginning that when he was abandoned, it had been too early for him to properly handle it. An isolated child always led a very agonising path to adulthood. Apparently, Lucifer was not the only one who had been forced to walk that path. 

“It’s been so long Linda and Christmas don’t really help.” Suddenly very tired to walk around anymore, he fell heavily on the couch across her.  

“Can you elaborate?” She carefully set the base for what could lead them to the core of Amenadiel’s issue. 

“Christmas is an awkward time for the family. ” He quietly began while playing with the stitches of the couch. 

“That little boy was looking much like him. The curls, the smile you name it. Everything seemed to be the same aside from the lack of unruliness Lucifer had.” his features darkened with every word and his eyes had become unfocused, lost in a point in time so long forgotten.  

“Lucifer literally raised hell when he found out.” a haunted chuckle escaped him and cleared his throat a little. 

“For Heaven and Hell, it was a betrayal and at the same time an affirmation that he had been indeed His favourite.” Always a favourite. Only the older siblings had realised that from the very begging. Father had taken his fallen brother’s features and named him their saviour. But no one ever questioned Him. That was always Lucifer place. Questioning him that is. 

“So the saviour of humankind resembled Lucifer. Now that’s a trivia you don’t hear every day!” she mused trying to lighten the mood. Instead of Amenadiel taking the hint he continued with the same grave tone. 

“He felt the impact of Father’s withdrawing more than anyone. Father was his world and He had created a new one.” his features turned to a thoughtful frown. 

“Why suddenly he is so committed on Christmas? Why suddenly everything makes sense to him?” he questioned mostly himself but the answers still eluded him. 

For Linda, it was clear that what was harboured underneath Amenadiel’s displeasure was good old sibling rivalry. Lucifer had a good point when he claimed he was as screwed up as any other patient. Obviously, his disrupted adolescent was not the only one.“Lucifer declared but was also enforced into his independence early. He was not a docile child and did not turn out to be a docile adult.” Again this was what she could offer Amenadiel’s

“Lucifer declared but was also enforced into his independence early. He was not a docile child and did not turn out to be a docile adult.” Again this was what she could offer Amenadiel for now.  

He cursed and abruptly stood up. He marched to the tree and with a sharp pull, he took out the white garland and an envelope which was previously deeply hidden within the branches. 

“Popcorn on a string and this!” he threw the envelope on her lap and crushing some of the popcorn, he took back his seat on the couch.

“How do you explain this Linda?” he fumed with his brother's actions which still could not be understood. Power, lust he could understand but what was the point of the Devil playing around with corn?

“He is bonding, something you do not do. He is experiencing feelings which include for the first time a woman and obviously a child.” Opening the letter she confirmed her suspicions. Lucifer had indeed gone through one more breakthrough. 

“Have you read this?” she asked him and already suspecting that he had not she handed him the carefully folded paper. 

 

 

“So he wants clothes... What does  _that_ mean?” He had already known that this was a letter to Santa but he had not gone as far as actually opening it. 

“It means that he wants to believe.” she simply told him and crossed her legs. 

“To Santa?” He drew a long breath and turned to look at her in disbelief.

Preventing her from replying, the elevator notified them for the arrival of two people who Amenadiel must have been expecting. Without caring much he pointed the patio and re-read the Santa letter. 

“It’s outside and he wants it done after the New Years.”

“What is all that about?” she curiously said and stretched out to follow with her eyes the two men walking out on the balcony. 

“He wants a blue spruce planted on the patio for some unfathomed reason. Something about not wanting to go back to the mountains again. 

“Amenadiel.” She drew his attention in a stern voice. 

“Don’t wait for someone who is not there anymore. Otherwise, you will lose the one who actually is.” she warned.  

“Your brother was never given a separate identity, he created one for himself and now he does it again in a healthy way.”

Their father had appointed them their identities and only Lucifer had challenged that. Amenadiel was only in the beginning of self-discovery and preferred to demonise his brother’s change over attempting to understand his own. 

“He needs his independence and was willing to test your Father’s authority to get it.” He looked at her sharply understanding setting on his mind. 

The children who don’t act up, just bottle their feelings of defiance. As a result, they rarely know the limits they are about to cross. Amenadiel and Uriel had crossed several and paid for them dearly. In a twisted reasoning, Hell could be now seen as a gift and not a punishment for his brother. A place to grow. 

“I fear Linda that from what I only now understand, Father had planned more than he led us to believe.” Where did he fit in this plan, was not clear but the chance of being a worthy piece was not good. 

“Lucifer, Michael and Gabriel were the first to be created but I was placed as the eldest, He said I was his hero but was I? I have so many questions doctor.” His voice cracked under the pressure of doubt. 

“We will need to book several sessions then.” Linda signed and stood up to the surprise of the angel, no, man across her. 

“I can’t answer your questions but I can tell you one thing with absolute certainty.” There was a soft smile on her lips and she approached him just enough to rub his shoulder. 

“He loves you. More than you think.” With an affectionate pat, she took her purse from the piano bench and headed to the elevator leaving Amenadiel in a better mood than he had been in ages. 

“Oh and Amenadiel…” She called stopping the elevator's doors from closing just in time. 

“There _is_ a very interesting purple bell on the branches and a few poorly hand-wrapped presents by Lucifer for you under that tree.” She gave him a wink and the last thing she saw was his shocked expression turning to a delighted boyish one.  

 

* * *

 

_To be Continued..._

* * *

 


	6. On a Wing and a Prayer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: CHAPTER 1 of Alis Grave Nil. Beatrice leads Lucifer to new, uncharted paths this holiday season. What makes a man and what makes a believer? Joyous, precious, burned to crisp and even bitter presents will be given. Even from Father himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter of Alis Grave Nil with some minor differences.

**On a Wing and a Prayer**

 

> _Quote from Lucifer (Comic):_
> 
> _Perhaps this is the ultimate freedom, the freedom to leave._

****

 

* * *

  **(27th of December)**

 

“You know I still wonder how much of it was planned. How much of it, he knew in advance. I thought I was rebelling. I thought I was defying his rule. No, I was merely fulfilling another tiny segment of his great and powerful plan.” His words were rushed and he toyed with his mending finger. If he had been a mortal it would have bled by the friction a good while ago.

“Lucifer you will have to wait for next week for us resume our sessions, I’m in the middle of the ocean!” Linda’s voice carried anxiously due to his tormented tone.

“I know Doctor! I know… I sent you at this blasted cruise and obviously, I wasn’t thinking right! Then again you deserve it… Doctor-“ his voice croaked under an invisible pressure.

“Lucifer why did you call me?” She asked him in the soothing manner he usually responded to.

“Doctor… I feel I’m forgetting something… something important.” His body slumped on the floor next to his bed as he tugged his hair in aggression. These broken words were the last thing Linda heard before he dropped the call to let the frustration and the despair overcome him.

 

* * *

**(20th of December)**

 

 The mattress felt heavy over her shoulders. With great reluctance, she kicked the blankets and shivered at the loss of her warm bedding. With several small coughs, she experimentally cleared her throat. So far there was no indication of a cold taking over or a hint of a stuffy nose. Cautiously she moved her arms and feet and all appeared to be fine. With a relief, she got up and her breath hitched at the abrupt painful tingling her torso gave away momentarily. Perhaps it was not meant to be then. 

The mattress felt heavy over her shoulders. With great reluctance, she kicked the blankets and shivered at the loss of her warm bedding. With several small coughs, she experimentally cleared her throat. So far there was no indication of a cold taking over or a hint of a stuffy nose. Cautiously she moved her arms and feet and all appeared to be fine. With a relief, she got up and her breath hitched at the abrupt painful tingling her torso gave away momentarily. Perhaps it was not meant to be then. 

Without caring about slippers her bare feet carried her to the kitchen where she already knew that if she was lucky a grilled sandwich would wait for her. That is if Lucifer didn’t have another craving this morning which she wished he had.

“Good morning, child!” His warm voice always relaxed her. Sitting on the stool, he was sipping from their last surviving teacup. Tea-parties had become a bit more adventurous and wild lately with Lucifer much to the dismay of her mum. When she struggled to get to the stool next to him, he noncommittally steadied her by holding her upper arm and pushed her upwards. 

“No craving this morning?” She quipped and glared at him. 

“Your mother provided me with two sandwiches today Beatrice, therefore no chocolate-chip pancakes for you today.” He barely took his eyes from the newspaper yet his lips twitched slightly. 

“You could have helped…” she grumbled picking small bites from her sandwich. 

“And you could have not ratted us out to your mother.” he chided. Putting his paper to the side, he laid his head on his right hand. Patiently he waited for her to finish her meal and his brows knitted in disbelief when she declared she was still hungry.

“Aren’t you supposed to be sick Beatrice?” He eyed her speculatively and poured her a glass of cold milk as he had been instructed by the Detective. 

The child exhaled and her shoulders twitched. 

“I have the worst of luck, every year I’m sick around Christmas Eve which is also my birthday!” she whispered with glinted eyes and Lucifer instinctively took a step backwards. He had been there before and this was his last clean homewear.  

“Why don’t you like children Lucifer?” she asked him full of innocence. He had long ago decided that the best tactic with Beatrice’s questions was to tell her only the core idea of the answer or try to avoid giving an answer altogether. The second was, of course, the Detective’s strong recommendation. 

“I like you.” he told her with a hint of surprise in his voice. He actually liked this little child. Still, she was a force of nature and probably he would never cease to feel startled and a bit violated whenever she threw herself on him.

 She blinked and rolled her eyes. This was obviously not the answer she wanted.

“Can you imagine Maze as a child?” he decided to approach the subject from a different angle. After almost a month of living with his demon, the child must have had a clearer view of Maze.  

“Was she awesome?” Beatrice’s eyes sparkled and her features lighted up at the mentioning of her favourite celestial being.  

Was he supposed to feel jealous? But the devil did not experience jealousy. And yet Linda had proved him wrong once. As for the child, if living with Maze had not been an eye-opener she was more peculiar that he had originally thought. Hence not having the clearer view in his current playing cards now. 

“More like downright terrifying and she had thousands of siblings to compete to including my own nephew." Imbriel’s little indecency had after all gotten him murdered. His brother’s desires had meant the beginning of the end for the peace of the Silver City. But that was a story which Beatrice would have to wait a few good years to hear. 

 “Maze is your niece?” She asked in the same disturbingly awed voice which had Lucifer cringing at the very thought but also in admittance that he was indeed envious of his own demon. What was with the Decker women in this house? 

“Child if she were really my niece I would indeed be the wicked devil the world believes me to be. Now miss avoidance, are you unwell?” 

She gave a half shrug and her shoulders tremored a bit but just enough to make Lucifer in an impulse move to check her temperature with the back of his hand on her forehead. 

 “I have the dumbest of luck dad says.” Getting down from the stool she reached the couch and from underneath the seat cushion, she got a small red book. 

“I’m always sick on Christmas Eve so he bought me this” she handed the book to him and this time she used his forearm to help herself up the stool. 

“Five steps to not be a Grinch… Does it help?” he questioned in mild interest. 

“Never tried it.” Her surly tone let him know that Douche’s gift had not been so well received. She turned her face away and drank slowly some of her milk only to make a disgusted face. 

“Beatrice I think we have to try this together!” If his determination had not taken her by surprise, him snatching away her cold milk certainly had.  

* * *

  **1\. Drink cocoa**

“First advice, drink cocoa!” her delighted voice laughed as he took out the three needed ingredients. 

“As you instruct my lady” he teased her in the same lively voice making her laugh even louder. 

“Lucifer you are doing it wrong.” she complained while peaking over his shoulder from standing on the top of the counter behind him. 

“Beatrice I have cocoa, milk and sugar! What may I possibly be doing wrong?” Sarcasm was always his strongest suit but the look he was currently getting by the spawn, had him for a moment in trance. The child certainly resembled her mother but her cheek was all Beatrice. 

“You need cinnamon, vanilla powder and salt!” she hugged his neck from behind and balanced herself between his back and the counter behind him.  

“Beatrice initiate me to the Christmas cocoa preparation if you please.” Instead of feeling fidgety he welcomed the weight on his shoulders him, as well as, the sensation of her warm tinkling breathed words. 

Opening the cupboard he took out each requested ingredient and handed it to her, one at a time to throw into the string by him mixture. Some made in the pot and some just provided the room with a very interesting sweet aroma. The result was a fragrant hot chocolate which made both of them moan at their very first taste. 

“My favourite is with rose and vanilla but Mom prefers the orange flavoured one.” 

 Setting her cup down after finishing her drink with one last large gulp, she carefully poured herself one more cup under Lucifer's disapproving gaze despite afterwards smirking and getting a refill for himself. 

“Lucifer we have a problem.” Beatrice lifted the coca’s box and with an effective upturn he realised that he had used all the mixture. 

“Grandma bought her this from Europe! You had to use the other box!” She hugged herself as the horror set in.

“Bloody F… rack!”  he had to fix this promptly. 

“That’s a bad word.” the child reprimanded him with a scowl.

“Really Beatrice? Now? Really?”  He jammed his hands into his pocket and took out his phone. 

“Harrods Exclusive VIP personal shopper manager how…” the familiar voice greeted him. “Clive I have a new order for you and I want it by tomorrow morning.” This was not an order, though, it was a deliver or perish 

“Clive I have a new order for you and I want it by tomorrow morning.” This was not an order, though, it was a deliver or perish.

“Were the elf shoes satisfactory my lord?” Had that man no life preservation instincts Lucifer had caught himself wondering more than once since he had first met him, years ago. 

“Clive forget the blasted shoes! I need all your cocoa variations. Exclusive, common, even the numbered pieces we both know you can get your hands at!” He held out his palm and high-fived an overhearing Beatrice

“Whatever you wish my lord. They will be sent out in less than an hour!” Clive promised him and the call ended with a relieved Beatrice and Lucifer drinking his second cup of cocoa in peace.  

* * *

  **2\. A Letter to Santa**

“Second advice, write a letter to Santa.” Carefully she tore two pages from the end of the book and handed Lucifer one of them. 

“They provide the required stationary, how extraordinarily thoughtful!” Playing around with the paper he sobered when Beatrice titled her head and narrowed her eyes dangerously at him. 

 “So I have a wish, I write it down and it is supposed to come true. Isn’t that the basic concept? May I ask for a lady to fall head over hills for me I wonder…” What he desired was the Detective. If such a wish was ethical was of no consequence but Father knew he regrettably needed some divine intervention if he ever wanted progress their friendship. Santa would have to do then. 

“Santa is not a Genie!” She told him exasperated with his lack of basic knowledge. 

“Elaborate Beatrice!” There was his only hope for accelerating this blasted tiptoeing he had found himself at the moment into with the Detective. 

“But if he is… then there are rules and you can’t have that.” With a thoughtful expression, she held out a pen for him and started writing down her letter. 

“Well that is indeed unacceptable” he murmured to himself. So what he could ask for then? His head loomed over Beatrice and she covered her letter quickly. 

He had only gotten the Dear Santa part out and that left him with no idea on what he should write about. 

“Were you good this year Lucifer?” Beatrice asked him with some hesitation. 

“Not really… Is that a hard rule?” He asked and heated his third helping of hot cocoa at a fresh cup in the microwave. Without waiting for her to ask for her third serving, he took out one more cup and filled it with the now lukewarm beverage. 

“It’s supposed to be.” Her list of naughtiness this year was endless he had to admit pondering all the past events. Regardless of what he approved he guessed that according to the Detective’s perception of right and wrong the child had not been that good this year. Hitting a bully, maiming her doll, taking bribes of cash and chocolate. 

“What is the worst that can happen?” he looked heavenward. Famous last words he supposed.

“Humiliation, embarrassment, fire, explosions, collisions, tears, nudity, and death. But that was just bad luck involving a battery operated doll last year and it’s very unlikely to happen twice.” His encouraging smile slipped and drew back from the terrifying creature in front of him.  

“Kidding! You get a lump of coal.” she said without much care and wrote down the last lines of her letter.

“Worst case scenario Beatrice, we will have a Christmas Day barbeque.” His eyebrows waggled and she batted her eyes in return. Father, he liked this child. 

Folding his letter carefully, later on, he felt liberated. He had not asked for something special nor for something he could not purchase by himself. On the contrary, a dozen of clothes was not of any consequence on his finances. The child-proof feature though was a game changer for him. Since when was he so accustomed to small hands touching him? When had the child managed to compete her mother on this newfound experience of his called affection?

He pushed his neatly folded paper and she put them in separate folders. With the writing, task finished Beatrice opened her little book and turned the pages until she found the one she was searching for. 

* * *

**3\. Bake**

 “Advice three, bake.” Her forehead puckered and her face fell. If the burned cookies Chloe had brought with her on their trip to the mountains as a snack were anything to go by, his little human was not particularly skilled in baking. Then again Maze always had a tendency of not distinguishing the fine difference between baked and burned. 

“Have I ever failed to deliver? Have you ever been unsatisfied with your breakfast?” Granted he had little to no experience in baking but he was sure he could pull this off better than his demon. 

 “No.” she admitted and her eyes searched his for something. 

 “Have you ever failed?” The settled gravity on her features unsettled him a little and not the question itself.

“Plenty of times.” He took the book from her hands and scanned the page for the required ingredients. The instructions were clear and everything they needed was in the cupboard he had previously opened for the cocoa. With a few adjustments, they would be able to make more than enough. 

“But I do not intend to fail today.” And yet he partially did fail.

The mixture was lumpy and no matter how hard he whisked, it stubbornly remained so. Yet Beatrice seemed to be more than pleased with the result. He couldn’t help but wonder, just what Maze had scarred her with during their baking session a few days ago. 

“All it needs now is kneading and then to roll out the dough!” She said at her clapping, a cloud of flour raised in the air. Both had been covered in flour, egg whites and what he had an inkling was cocoa from the last hot chocolate bunch she had asked him to make before starting the baking process. 

“Don’t!” She slapped his hands inches away from the dough giving him a disapproving piercing look.  

“Jewellery off!” she ordered him and pointed his ring. 

“I think not!” he admonished holding protectively his right hand close to his chest effectively smearing his top white the sugary substance he was whisking before. 

The staring contest had a winner and a crestfallen Lucifer handed his ring to Beatrice. 

“You can wear it around your neck with the string.” At the tips of her toes she reached for the butcher’s string and made a long chain for his ring. 

When she settled again on the stool she gestured him to duck in order to pass the makeshift chain through his neck. Lucifer chuckled and taking it from her he passed it through her neck instead. 

“There is something inside the rock.” she murmured examining the ring in the sun lighten kitchen. 

“Indeed there is.” With his finger freed of his ring, he expected the feeling of suffocation to come back to him as that had been the case for years. He slowly worked the dough, retrieved the rolling pin and the cookie cutters only to see Beatrice still playing with the jewellery.  

“What is it made of?” The child wore the too broad for her ring at her petite finger and then let it fall on her chest where it suspended from the thin string around her neck. Lucifer placed a damp towel over the dough and turned to have her full attention. 

“This is a material of what my old home used to build things with.” He pointed the sliver band of the ring. The Silver City was not just a pretty name, it was a blindingly beautiful place. At least at the beginning. 

 “The black rock is a mixture of a certain kind of ash and a very rare liquid, which reminds me where I was sent to and why.” The black stone glimmered in the light and his eyes caught what he knew there was inside but as he never took the ring off his finger, he hadn’t taken a good look of it in years. 

“As for what is inside…” He trailed with the memories of when he decided to craft this ring for his peace of mind. For some reason, he could not part from that small object for long which had resulted on a jewellery being made to keep it on him at all times.  

“Is it valuable?” Beatrice asked and relaxed her head back on his chest while they were both looking at the faint shape of a small shadow inside the obsidian jewel.

“Something tells me that it is dear. Something tells me that it truly is.” Lucifer held the ring for a few more moments the air before placing it on the child’s chest and tapping it lightly conveying with the gesture that he was trusting her to keep it safe for the day. 

“If we make some holes we can cheat a bit with the fourth advice” She recommended whilst rolling with vigour the pin over the dough. Lucifer winked at her and passed her a straw and a ginger man cookie cutter. 

 Seven baking sheets later and a near call of fire, they had several good bunches and two entire sheets of burned to crisp black gingerbread men. 

“You said we wouldn’t fail today.” she accused him poking the burned cookies.  

“And we did not.” he stubbornly told her. 

 “I had a tree delivered to the penthouse today and it needs ornaments! A lot of them…” Six dozens of small black cookies would not be enough to decorate a 6’ 4” Christmas tree. 

Whilst wondering whether he should have to cancel or not the decorator from taking over the trimming, his little darling presented him with two very interesting bags.  

“Fourth advice?” He guessed despite not being able to understand how these two bags could help.

“Yep!” Beatrice cheered and threw the small bag to him. He caught it midair grinning at her apparently contagious enthusiasm. 

“Advice four, decorate!” they squealed together.

* * *

**4\. Decorate**  

“Are you sure this is supposed to go like this?” Lucifer licked his lips and tried to pass the needle through the popped corn without breaking it in half.  

“You are asking me after a seven feet garland?” She signed and quickly painted one more bottle cap. 

The Detective had persuaded him that a Christmas tree would have been a good idea even if he wouldn’t be at home this year, because of replacing his bleach vandalised bathtub and all that. Yet a Christmas tree trimmed of burned cookies, bottle caps painted by Beatrice and corn had not been his initial plan when he caved to the suggestion.

Wanting to distance himself from the holiday, he found it difficult to do so with this child and her mother constantly around him. Therefore, he had carefully placed all the strings on the burned cookies to avoid upsetting Beatrice. He had also accidentally pricked his fingers countless of times, thankfully without being a mortal around the child. Finally, they had used her “Recycle caps for wheelchairs” stash for building up the number of his tree's ornaments. Not to mention that Maze would be furious with the lack of corn for her movie night tomorrow. 

Gladly defeated, he popped a couple of popcorns in his mouth and joyfully returned to his task when he felt a wet trail on his left cheek. 

“No eating the decorations!” she ordered him for the hundredth time that evening but now there was a paint brush on his cheek leaving a trail of blue paint down to his chin. 

Being quicker than her he dipped his fingers in the orange paint and left several spots on her forehead and nose. In less than five minutes they were both panting. Beatrice was sporting several more colourful spots on her nose and cheeks while Lucifer had a small green handprint on his right cheek. 

“Fifth Advice?” Lucifer offered as a form of surrender. 

When his demon child nodded he let out a shaky breath and raised his thumb into the air. 

* * *

  **5\. Wrap the Presents Yourself and be the Gift this Christmas**

The lock jammed a bit but under her persistence, it gave away and the door opened widely. Nothing appeared to be amiss and for that she was thankful. A lingering sweet smell was still in the air and the soft buzzing from the television was the only sound that could be heard in the dark living area.  

With some difficulty, she could see that the kitchen was not exactly the disaster area she was expecting it to be. It was clustered with plates and hundreds of bite-sized cookies. Colourful caps were everywhere and a large bowl was filled with an insane amount of popcorn. 

Tiptoeing behind the couch she saw the two culprits curled together sleeping peacefully. The large green loungewear robe was securely wrapped over Trixie and a large arm was holding her securely from falling from the couch's edge. The soft light from the Grinch movie gave away enough light for her to see the paint on her daughter's cheeks and soft hair. Lucifer, on the other hand, was sporting the curliest hair she had seen on him up to this point highlighted with several strikes of blue and green. 

“Lucifer how many cups of cocoa did you drink?” She demanded to know and ruffled in a gentle manner both his and Trixie’s hair. If the cups in the table were anything to go by, they had gone through all the cocoa there was in the house but hopefully not hers. 

“Not to worry Detective, an adequate supply has already been ordered to satisfy you and both your munchkins.” He lisped a few words sleepily and tightened his hold on Beatrice before relaxing again and he let sleep overtake him. 

“That’s a sugar crash for you mister!” she laughed softly leaving the pair to take an evidently by their day’s adventures much deserved nap. 

 

* * *

  **24th of December**

 

Three boxes of her favourite promptly delivered imported hot chocolate brand had not appeased the dear Detective. With a dirty look, he stole a glance at her drinking her morning coffee in the kitchen while he was confined under piles of photos. She had said it was time to carry his weight around. Yet arranging her photos with Detective Douche was a low blow of her. 

Penny had already arranged a couple of large photo albums but he had to look though years of marriage, courtship and Beatrice’s birth to arrange them according to the year they were taken. Sometimes he caught himself lingering over pictures of a carefree Chloe and at the silly expressions Beatrice made for the camera as a toddler.

“He said he would be here half an hour ago!” Chloe impatiently threw the rest of her coffee to the drain and run to the door to check outside for their impending guest.

“We still have fifteen more minutes.” Penny informed her by checking her watch. 

The Detective closed the door and went back to the kitchen to pour herself a new cup of coffee. Before she added the sugar a sharp knock was heard and both Penny and the Detective flew at the door. 

A short plump man walked inside the apartment and left his black umbrella near the door. His old-fashioned bowler black hat was lifted to reveal a descending pure white hairline. He politely smiled to the two women and set down the large leather bag he was carrying. He raised his sleeve and checked his golden watch and his large moustache twitched in satisfaction at his punctuality. 

“Ten more minutes to go.” The voice was warm and pacifying but a chill crept down Lucifer’s back. 

“To the room Doctor?” Penny suggested and took the bag from the old man. 

“Is she still like a clockwork?” He asked following the two women.

“Always,” Chloe told him and chewed nervously her right thumb’s nail. 

Surely enough a small whimper was heard at 10:30. 

Lucifer raked his fingers through his hair and followed the noise to the child’s room. At the door, the Detective was holding the handle for dear life while Penny was helping the doctor to set everything near a whining Beatrice. 

“It always begins like this. About an hour before her birthday then it becomes worse. Every freaking single year!” She whimpered as the spawn tried to take far away from her a little from the doctor who drew with quick expertise some blood for testing. What worried him most though was some of the instruments laying around the room. 

The child’s breath grew laboured with every passing minute and at every tremble, Chloe and Lucifer jumped slightly to check on her.  He clenched his fists in synch of Beatrice’s every hitched breath which was accompanied by the almost inaudible escaped sob from her mother. 

“How long have you treated her?” His voice came out harsher than he had expected but it had no apparent effect on the Doctor who continued to check the child every once in a while. 

“Since she was born.” The Detective replied for him. 

“There is nothing wrong with the child Mr.-“ the deep voice inquired and the unsettling feeling returned. 

“ _That_  is _not_ nothing!” He extended his hand and showed him the suffering Beatrice. 

“Everything has come back clear. Every test prescribed and not has been done up to this point and two hours per year is not considered a threatening condition.” The Doctor probed his fingers on the small chest and put the stethoscope in his ears.

What he heard must have good because he gave an encouraging smile to the Detective. 

“Everything except something was missing.” Penny pressing her hands on her cheeks had the need to talk about this in the open no matter how trivial it was.

“True. But she is not the first case and is of no consequence on what she is now experiencing.” The Doctor supplied adjusting the most disturbing for Lucifer item that had come out from his bag.

Unclenching his fists in an effort to relax he realised that he had trapped between his fingers a few old photos he was supposed to put into order some time ago. Chloe looked at him to see the damaged photos and a ghost smile made its appearance. There in the middle of the photo were her and Dan at their very first night with the whole gang before they got together. 

“We had just finished our advanced training abroad.” She traced the photo in which she had a lazy grin and was ogling Dan’s bare back as he drank from his beer can. 

“The next day we were together…” He knew she needed the distraction but he doubted she knew how much this was bothering him. He had not forced his hellish past on her so why was she forcing him the equally hellish to him past of hers now of all moments.

“It was an impulse and it did not end well. I can’t do impulsive anymore Lucifer. Do you understand me?” She whispered although he was sure that Penny and the Doctor had heard everything and understood the meaning of her words better than he did. 

He drew a long breath and took her hand in his to apply an affirmative pressure. His smile was mirrored in hers and he knew that a new breakthrough with Linda would have to be discussed soon. 

“Doctor… What is your name?” He asked him still holding Chloe’s hand in one palm and the photos at the other. 

“Gibhor Voight but you can call be Gabe!” he replied cheerfully and checked his watch again. 

“Gibhor?” Lucifer tensed and only relaxed at the startled yelp Chloe let out when he clenched his fists. 

“I was named by peculiar people I suppose.” 

“Yes, it certainly holds an interesting _divine_ meaning … And what does Beatrice miss according to your tests Doctor?” Suspicion was flooding him but he knew better than believe that the self-righteous bastard would ever take the form of such a pathetic creature to meddle with his life. 

“Nothing much just her rhesus antigens. All 61 of them are absent.” At that information, Lucifer abruptly stood up and towered the old man. 

“That is not possible,” Lucifer growled through clenched teeth. 

“I said the same thing.” Chloe lifted the haze from his mind meeting his now wild dark eyes. 

“They say it is inherited like blood groups but neither I nor Dan has a family history of lacking all rhesus antigens. At least one of us should have the same rarity. I even tasted my father’s bloodied clothes for this!” She was near hysterics as she was reliving the frustration over Trixie’s peculiarity.

Thankfully, the little girl was unaware of the discussed topic. Lucifer rubbed his forehead and leaned back on the wall closing his eyes. 

“Lucifer would you please bring me some water?” Penny asked him trying to defuse the tension in the room. He mumbled something and was out of the room before he would be asked something else. 

He threw the photos on the counter and took two glasses out of the cupboard. The cold water was refreshing him as it slide down his throat. Taking some time for himself he filled his glass again and wanting to release some of his aggravation he slammed his hand on the counter with a much controlled force. He couldn’t imagine the chores he would be assigned if he broke the kitchen counter.  

Taking his phone he dialled the only one who would confirm his suspicion.

_“Luci! So glad you called this trip is awesome!”_

“Brother.. Have mother and Maze killed each other yet?” He asked knowing fully well he was chit chatting instead of asking what he wanted urgently to know. 

_“Not yet but close. We are not welcome on the upper deck anymore and Linda has us on cruise probation! ”_

“Amenadiel... A question... Is any of the 43 related to Beatrice?” Fear gripped him at the possibility of divinity existing in such a small body. The descendants of his little brother still plagued humanity. Although their diluted blood was only capable of showing one little detail. They all had Rhesus null. Exactly like Beatrice. Divinity was a tricky force to withhold in a human body and if he was right her body was experiencing a very difficult growing spurt adjustment yearly. The pain though was not part of the equation. 

_“Lucifer only nine are currently alive and the last report placed them all in two families. One is in Europe and the other in Asia. There is no remote possibility for the Detective’s child to have any connection with these two families.”_

“Then I was mistaken...” Or the Doctor had screwed up. That was the most plausible possibility for him. With an eased mind he wished his brother to have a great time chastising himself on overreacting and overthinking the child’s condition. 

With the water cup in his hand, he gathered the photos from where he had scattered them carelessly before and placed them on top of the half filled album he and Penelope were working on, only to freeze in his tracks.

With a shaking hand, he lifted at the same picture Chloe was talking about previously. Everything was the same aside from a very little detail he had failed to notice before. Quickly he tucked the photo on his shirt’s breast pocket and took the water in Beatrice’s room. 

“It’s starting, let me go!” Chloe cried out as she was dragged out of her daughter’s room from Penny. 

Lucifer helped Penny to carry a kicking Chloe outside the room and closed the child’s door behind him, leaving him in the room with the Doctor and a convulsing Beatrice. 

“Help me immobilise her!” The Doctor was wrestling with her small arms to place the breathing mask on her nose and mouth.  The gasping sound she was making materialised Lucifer’s fears over the need for the small oxygen tank the Doctor had placed on the bed earlier. 

His hands tried to stop her shoulders from moving and effectively pin her down but that made her thrashing more violent underneath him. She wanted to turn to her stomach and regardless of what the Doctor had told him, he helped her turn earning a sigh of short-lived relief before she spasmed again.   

“Good intuition she seems to be more comfortable that way.” Lucifer’s palms run over the small clothed shoulder blades and lower back soothingly.

At the next jerking, he felt something bulging and retreating repeatedly underneath his probing fingers. He closed his eyes and bite his lips enough for the first time in his life to draw blood. The rustic taste was familiar from millennia ago but the sense of his Father’s betrayal was unbearable this time around.  

Cursing he made contact with her bare back and focused on rubbing over her upper spinal cord. That act alone rendered her limp and she relaxed completely under his ministrations. 

“I don’t know what you are doing boy, but it’s working.” With a quick examination of the girl’s relaxed state he slapped lightly his left shoulder and opening the door, he left the room. After a few minutes, Beatrice responded more naturally and with tentative sluggish movements expressed her desire to be hell. He was powerless to refuse her. 

“Is it over?” The tiny voice could be barely heard so he lifted her body just enough for her head to rest on his shoulder and next to his right ear. 

“When it stops, it stops for good?” His hands still roamed her warm back with tenderness and a plea to be wrong. 

“Yeah, at noon and then I have cake.” He could feel her expanding her lungs with great apprehension at an impending pain and kneaded his fingers more forcefully at the point that might have protested at the movement.  

“It’s not noon yet cheeky little devil” Truer words were never spoken from his still slightly bleeding lips. 

Her little giggle was muffled by his shirt's collar and relieved he readjusted her more comfortably over him, running hands never ceasing their movements. 

“She laughed!” An awed Detective leaned on the white doorframe and watched the two interact but betraying her presence to them both. With the Doctor leaving Trixie’s room she had immediately come back to find Lucifer and her daughter interwind talking in soft tones. 

“She is just tired she will be under soon.” His smile promised her that there was no reason to worry for the rest of the day. Bending she placed a soft kiss on her daughter's hair.

The proximity of her neck and hair to his face reminded him that the possibility was still there. Her scent was familiar. Her presence as influential to him as the very first time. The possibility gave away to a very likely probability and while waiting for paralysing fear to cripple him, he felt more whole than he had felt in aeons.  

“I’ll leave you to take a nap then.” With no hesitation after kissing Beatrice between them, she placed a small kiss slightly over his mouth making his lips twitch on missing out. The door closed behind her and small fingers tapped lightly his chest in content.

“Want to hear a story?” He asked her and sadness clouded his features.

“I’m too old” She insisted she was too old for everything lately but they both knew better. 

“It will be a good one. Promise.” Lucifer coaxed and gave her a half-smile. With a shrug and a huff he knew he had won this round and covered them with the small light blue blanket. 

“There was a boy once who wanted to go on a much-deserved vacation.” His voice remained neutral and the gentle palpitations of the child could be felt rhythmically over his shirt. 

“But he didn’t know where to go. So he decided to get what he was missing for many-many years. He wanted to go to the sea-side.”

“I like the sea-side.” Beatrice yawned and snuggled deeper into his body. 

“So one night he found himself on a beach on Christmas day.”

“He has no family to spend it with?” She asked curiously with the prospect of sleeping forcefully being dismissed. 

“He had, but things happen love” Explaining a dysfunctional family as his was not easy during his therapy sessions needless to say to a child of eight today. 

“Like with Dad today?” He could sense her pout at Douche’s managing to miss Christmas Eve and her birthday today over a new case. 

“Dads... Tend to work a lot, Beatrice. They also make mistakes. Sometimes things don’t just happen but also change.” He needed to warn her of a change which would happen at some point in her life. A very much anticipated change.  

“The story Lucifer.”She signed and resettled her head on his shoulder. 

“The story... Yes, so it was a dark night and decided to look around for the perfect place to begin his vacation. His first choice was going Australia and learning more about a culture called humanity.” His first trip to this place was full of fragmented memories which he attributed to the hefty return. Now he knew better. 

“In the dark, he met someone that night who taught him what humanity was all about. Desire, passion and of course life.” The memories of that particular event were the most difficult to retrieve and he knew that by the end of the day all would be lost again. Lost along with the majority of the memories of this day. Father was simply not tolerant of messing with his plan. A literal motherfucker. 

“Was it a girl?” The child asked impatiently.

“Well, yes, it was a girl and she made him curious about life. Therefore, he tried to learn as much as possible following that night. After a mere two hours later the boy unfolded his white wings and vowed to return. If not for seeking his freedom then for her.” Why did everything make sense now? How he had missed this detail and how he had lost his wings, not as an act of defiance but to rid himself of the unknowingly lingering ache. 

“He had wings?” She had been excited by this turn in the story. 

“Would you like wings, Beatrice?” He asked her carefully and he grinned when he saw her nose crinkle. 

“No.” She gave her definite answer.

“You would be able to fly.” He tried again to persuade her even though he wanted to do the exact opposite. 

“Why wanting to fly when I can walk between Mummy and you?” She scratched her nose and closed her eyes deeming their story-telling over and a nap next in order.  

Taking out the wrinkled photo from his pocket without disturbing the child he could clearly see that it held more than he had previously thought, and all had been hidden by his very own thumb. There was Chloe leaning on the bar in a very relaxed state, Dan clueless of her existence behind him and at the far end in the right down section of the photo was him with a dreamy expression adorning his features. 

“You are like a penny from heaven little one... Do you know that?” he whispered in her hair sighing. They had been warned about the possibility procreation but it would require a touch of divinity which Chloe apparently had. The child had to take a full year round from the sun to be released in the world and no matter how planned the Detective thought her daughter to be early at her relationship with Dan, Beatrice had already existed before he made a move to woo her. 

He had been warned that night. An act of redemption will always be followed by salvation. Had he really redeemed that night? Was this fragile little being his salvation?

His rubbing never ceased as for the next hour they were left undisturbed until after the clock rang noon he decided to join the others. Carefully he raised himself along with the soundlessly resting child on his chest and walked to the living room. He was broken and exhilarated. Liberated and lost.  That much he could tell with absolute certainty. 

Chloe was not surprised to see Lucifer carrying Trixie on his hands when he entered the living room. Her mother and the Doctor were having a smoke outside while she was trying to get a hold of Dan over the phone. For once, their daughter had escaped her hour of torture which had been subjected for over eight years. His absence should have stung and infuriated her but everything in her told her that everything was as they were supposed to be. 

“Care for some company Chloe?” The use of her name signified a change despite knowing that he would still be using Detective with the same frequency in the future. 

Lucifer’s posture as he walked closer became more difficult to decode. His hold on the child tightened and when he kneeled between her legs she let him take comfort from resting his head in the crook of her neck.

When circumstances overwhelmed him she knew he needed something more than a hug. He needed her attention and it appeared that Trixie’s health issue today had crumbled him more than she would have ever thought possible. Giving him the time he needed she drew her arms around him and played with the soft curls at the end of his neck’s hairline. 

“Please don’t let me forget tomorrow.” He pleaded and nuzzled his face into her neck.  A wet trail was the only evidence of his spilling emotions. What a contradiction this man was. When he drew back tears shone in his eyes while he leered on for a soft kiss near her lips mimicking her kiss previously. Intimate but innocent. 

“But even if I do forget, rest assured, I’ll always be coming back to you.” He vowed with a sad smile whilst encircling his free arm around her waist to hold her as close as he was holding _his_ deeply sleeping Beatrice.

 

Someday soon, we all will be together, if the fates allow

Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow

So have yourself a merry little Christmas now

 

_Sanoiro: What is the point of giving a gift only to take it back?_

_The Father: To have your child grow enough to cherish it and not destroy it._

   

The End

 

* * *

 


End file.
